Only One Can Survive
by WolfsbaneRain
Summary: Kaylen Simmens is a 17 year old fire bender. She is a prodigy, has all the boys in her town at her beck and call, and a brilliant mind. But none of that matters. Not since the moment her life was changed three years ago. And now, her life is about to change again.
1. Author's Notes

**Only One Can Survive: Author's Notes**

Kaylen Simmens is a 17 year old fire bender. She is a prodigy, has all the boys in her town at her beck call, and a brilliant mind. But none of that matters. Not since the moment her life was changed three years ago. And now, her life is about to change again.

**This is my first Fan Fiction. I actually first got the idea of this story when I was trying to come up with a plot for a roleplay. And sadly it ended up being one of those roleplays that never even got to the main event before it died. So now I'm making it a story completely run by me, WolfsbaneRain**

**Sorry it it takes a while to update. Im writing another story as we speak. It's called The Werewolf and the Witch. If you want to get a feel for my writing skills look it up. It's on a different site though, since it's not really a fanfic. (wattpad . com) I have a different user name on that site, it's xRebelsWaterx.I just started writing that one too. But you know...I think it's pretty good ;)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Only One Can Survive: Chapter 1**

I woke up with a pit in my stomach. It was an abyss, so deep you could never reach the bottom. All because of this one day. This one day of the year. The day that my brother was taken and my parents lost the will to live.

I am Kaylen Simmens. I am a seventeen year old fire bending girl. I am now an only child. I am the one who supports the family. And I am the one who lost her only brother on this day only three years ago.

His name was Jaden; he was only fifteen years old. He was my older brother by one year. He was perfect in every way. He had girls drooling when they saw him. He made other boys shutter with jealousy when he walked by. But, I was never mad or angry at him. After all, he was perfect. Not only in his looks or charm, but also in his morals and his personality. When I was little, I would get jealous at how obvious my parents liked him more then me. But he always despised them for it. He was always there to conform me and care for me.

But now he is gone. I don't know why I still feel like this. He has been gone for three years now. I should be over it. But I'm not, and I don't think I ever will be. He was my brother after all. Now I just had to suck it up and move on with my life. I need to support my family. I need to be the girl I was meant to be... That's what he would have wanted anyway.

There sky was still dark from the early morning. I slowly pulled the thin sheets of my body. A cold gust if wind blew through my open window and gushed onto my exposed skin. I felt the goose bumps rise on my arms as I hugged my body, trying to stay warm. I walked out of my room and headed straight for the bathroom. I wasn't much. All we had was a tub and a sink. But then again, that is what most people had when you were from the Fire Nation. The once great country.

I remember when I was little, and my parents were still functioning, my mom would tell stories about what our nation once was. She told me about our greatest fire lord in history, Fire Lord Zuko. She told me about his struggle when he was younger. How he worked with the Avatar to make up for our county's mistakes. She told me how he took the thrown when he was only a teenager. And how he made peace possible again, after the 100 year war.

This happened over 100 years ago. And yet, everyone still talks about him as if he was God himself. He was the greatest man in history (second to the Avatar of course). But he had no idea, the one thing he fought so hard for, would be the thing that threw this world into chaos again. The peace what he wanted throughout the four nations is the thing that started the war between benders and non-benders.

And now here I stand, in a shabby house, in a shabby town, filled with hopeless shabby people (including me). All because I'm a bender. While the non-benders lived in luxury in The Capital. They took everything from us. They use us, and throw us to the dogs. They have no room in their black hearts for love for us benders. Hell! They don't have enough room in their hearts to even gives us the light of day.

Now, don't get the wrong idea here, I don't hate all non-benders. We have some living here. Well, not in my house, my entire family are benders. But here, in this shabby town of ours we have tons of non-benders. We live in peace with them. There just like us really. And I like them. I even love some of them. For example, my best friend, Genny. She has been with me from the beginning. Since the day I was born to the day my brother died. She has always been there. And I know she always will be.

I walked over to the tub and slid into the hot water. I couldn't help a moan from escaping my lips as I closed my eyes and slid my naked body all the way under. The water surrounded by body, feeling like silk as it flowed over my skin. I opened my eyes and saw my sleek brown hair flow around me, trapping me in a cloud. I couldn't help but smile.

Which, when you think about it is kinda weird. I was a fire bender for Christ sake. I should be playing with fire, not water. I swear, sometimes I act more like a water bender then anything else.

I sat up in the water and rung out my soaking hair as best as I could. But still, water seemed to drip of the ends of my hair like a broken faucet. I stood up and wrapped a towel~about the size of a pillow~around my slim, naked body.

As I walked back into my room the seriousness took over, and my body became tense again. The bath did nothing on a day like this. All it did was help wash the dirt from my body.

As a dried my body I couldn't help a tear from slipping down my cheek. My mind flashed back to three years ago. Just the very thought of loosing him made me crumble.

I slid to the floor as the memories flashed across my eyes. I couldn't stop my self, the tears were flowing freely now. My body seemed to be completely detached from my brain right now. I knew I needed to get ready. I knew I needed to be there, in the court yard of the town. But I couldn't move a muscle. I was lost in my sorrow.

But the very worst thing about loosing my brother isn't that I'm alone now, or that I can't even stop myself from crying. None of that matters, because I never gave up hope on him. I never did. He was strong and fast. He was a good fighter too. He really had a chance at winning. But he lost, he lost his life, to none other then a classic sneaky bitch. God!

He was one of the last three. Early in the Games he teamed up with a little twelve year old girl. He knew she didn't stand a chance. And he was just too nice to leave her. But he should have, because that little brat was the death of him, literally.

He was the one of the last three. He had his little twelve year old sidekick next to him every day he was in the arena. I was practically yelling at him ever day I saw him on the TV to leave her. He needed to leave her.

I still remember the moment he died as if it only happened a few seconds ago. He blood and the screams are still freshly in my brain.

She knew she was going to kill him from the very beginning. And what happened to her? She won. She won because she turned he back on the only guy who ever risked himself for her. He got countless injuries helping her. He took a stab in the shoulder for her. And she still kills him, my brother, Jaden.

It happened while he was fighting the last of his opponents. He was fighting a water bender. How he managed to kill the bender I have no idea. But he still managed to kill a master water bender, only to get stabbed in the back.

That's what happened to him. He got stabbed in the back by the little twelve year old twit. She was hiding a knife under her shirt the entire time. All she needed to do was wait and watch as every one around her fell.

I will never forgive her for it. In all my years I have never seen something so evil. Yes, I have seen kids kill each other. I see it every year. But I have never seen some one be so cruel as to snuggle up every night to the person they plan to kill in less the a week.

I sat in my room for a while. I was curled up in a ball as I remembered watching my brother die before my eyes. I loved him so much, and I had to watch him die.

I slowly sat back up as the tears began to stop. I took in a beep, shaky breathe as I tried to regain myself. I wetted my lips with the tip of my tongue as I stood up. I could taste the salt on my lips as I realized they were my tears.

Quickly I dried my face with the back of my hand and walked to my only draw in my room. It held all my belonging, even though it was about the size of two loafs of bread. I opened it up and quickly found my only dress. It was made of cotton and hugged my body tight. It was plain, red, and fell just past my knees. It was easily the best looking thing I owned. But it made my feel uncomfortable when it hung on my shoulders. I was a pants and shirt girl, not a dress girl.

Once I was in my dress and wearing my only dress shoes, I walked over to a small mirror and put my hair up in a pony tail, out of my face.

There, I was ready. I was ready to get this terrible day over with, the day of The Reaping


	3. Chapter 2

**Only One Can Survive: Chapter 2**

I walked out of my small shack of a home. I didn't even bother to say goodbye to my parents. They didn't need to come, not like they would anyway. For the last four years the only places they have been was in their room or at work. Their eyes became sunken in and their hearts empty.

But why should that change who I am? They don't care about me and I've accepted that. They're just stuck with me now.

I made my way to the town center. It was just as shabby as the rest of this town and it's residents. The roads were dirt and littered with trash and glass. It's not really a surprise that so many people die from disease. This place is a wasteland. All it has is us, the people who are trapped behind the metal fences that keep us in.

This home of ours is called district 12. There are twelve districts in total. Two in the North Pole, one in the South Pole, four in the Fire Nation, and five in the Earth Kingdom. The Capital controls all of us. It is found in the richest part of the Earth Kingdom. There they have everything they could have ever wanted. It drives me crazy! All they do is take from us. They take our resources. Take our rights. They even take our lives, just for some entertainment.

That's what the Hunger Games is all about. They punish us. They punish us for things we didn't even do. It was in the past! We has a revolution. We were so close to winning too. But then, the unthinkable happened.

The Capital got these new weapons. They were incredible, and horrible. They flew through the air, like nothing ever seen before. They were giant, big enough to hold a person safely inside. That was the turning of the war. Before we had the advantage, we were the benders. But once those metal birds started flying through the air, all hope was lost.

And that is the reason I'm here now. At the town square to go through the horrible reaping that takes place every year.

I walked up to the table where two Peace Keepers where assigned to check us in. All they had to do was prick our finger. Check our blood to make sure it was really us. There was no way to escape it. Even if we refused to come to the reaping, they would just go to our house. More like shack actually. They would take us. They would execute us in front of the entire town, as an example. This was the type of place I lived in. This was the hell I lived in.

Once I was checked in I walked over to my assigned spot. Grouped in with the rest of the girls my age. I didn't even bother to look around. None of these girl are my friends. I'm not even sure if I know any of them. Genny is a year younger, she would be in the section in front of me. There is no way I would even be able to se her with all the people in the way. So, all I had to do was wait. Wait for this hell to be over.

Five minutes later everyone was checked in and the gate to the entrance of the square was closed. They did this to keep us inside, so nobody would run. Not that anyone would anyway. It would just be plain stupid. We would be able to go anywhere. District 12 had a metal fence surrounding the entire thing. There would be no hope for hiding either, no matter where you go, the Peace Keepers would find you, and then you would just be killed. Killed in front of everybody, and another one of their examples.

By this time, Stella Brigett, the representative assigned to District 12 from the Capital, walked up to the microphone in the center of the stage. Two glass bowls on either side of her, filled with neatly, folded pieces of paper. At least fourteen of those pieces of paper had my name on them.

Stella looked out towards the crowd with an fake, unnatural smile on her face. Her knee length purple waves of hair seemed to flow from her head like water; thick, oily water. As she fluttered her purple, confetti like eyelash extensions she began to speak. She gave the usual, formal, speech about how terrible the war was. How it brought pain and suffering to us. And how, we, the people are now paying for out actions against the Capital.

"But, even through all the betrayal that our Capital has been through. Our merciful President is still shows us that beautiful glimmer of forgiveness. And that forgiveness is found in the Hunger Games. Because that one victorious victor will live his or her life, in peace and confort." Stella finished her speech, giving the all too known, single tear of happiness.

"Huh. Yah, right." I was surprised to find out that those words came from my own lips. I heard a small murmur come from two girls standing next to me, obviously chatting up about my little slip up. _Yah, just talk about the girl your sitting right next to. She won't notice. _I rolled my eyes and looked back up at Stella, not even caring that I missed almost the entire second part of her useless speech. No one even listens in the first place.

"Now then," said Stella in her annoying, peppy voice. "Let's start with the ladies!" I watched as her hand danced around the edge of the glass bowl. The pit in my stomach sinking another hundred feet with every second that passed. I watched as her fingers left the edge. I watched as they dove the the very bottom of the bowl. I watched as her fingers closed around a single piece of paper. And I watched as she slowly unwrapped the paper in front of her eyes. But instead of watching as she spoke, I closed my eyes, held my breath, and felt my heart beat in my chest.

I did this, as Stella called out my own name.

**You guys have no idea what it was like writing this chapter. My heart was beating like crazy in that last part. Haha, weird. Yah, so thanks so much for reading! Like, Comment and Follow...please?**


	4. Chapter 3

**Only Once Can Survive: Chapter 3**

"Kaylen Simmens." My eyes flew open, to the horror that was now my life. I stood there, paralyzed in both shock and fear. _No. No, it can't be me... No. _I was brought back to reality when I felt a hard jab in the side of my waist. The girl on my left just elbowed me, but I couldn't help but see the apologetic look on her face.

I looked at her and gave a small reassuring smile. It wasn't her fault I was picked. I looked away, towards the ground as my feet started guiding me towards the stage. I met the stairs in what felt like seconds, and years, all at the same time. As I walked up the stairs I was Stella looking at me. In a second, her hand was on the small of my back, guiding me to a little 'X' taped on the stage. Apparently, that was where I was supposed to stand and wait for my fellow tribute to be called up.

"Ah, well aren't you a pretty one!" Stella was looking at me with a warm smile on her face, apparently she was happy about this. She was probably thinking I would be able to get more sponsors.

I forced a smile on my face as looked back at her. "Thank you." I was planning to say more, but if I spoke just one more word I'm sure my voice would crack, betraying me. I looked out in front of me again, never removing the smile on my face. I need to stay strong, I need to be strong.

I looked out at the crowd with a forced smile on my face. Luckily, it looked real. Because when you live in District 12 you learn how to hide your emotions. I blocked out everything around me. Forcing all the noise into a mumble in my ears, and looking out in the distance.

I was only bought back when I noticed that there was no mumble any more. I looked towards the crowd, to see a boy about the same age as me walking towards the stage. Dark black hair, light hazel eyes, almost gold really, and I've seen him before, at school, walking around town. Derek Hobbs.

I saw him walk up the wooden, splintering stairs. His once bright eyes, dim and lifeless. He was depressed, just like me. This type of thing generally happened when you've just been read your death sentence.

"Ah, another handsome one. How wonderful!" Stella hasn't quite figured out what wonderful meant. Is it wonderful that we are being taken against our will? Is it wonderful that we will be the personal dress up doll for our designers for the next week? Is it wonderful that we will be fattened up like pigs for slaughter? Is it wonderful that I'm going to die, purely for the entertainment of the Capital? I don't know, maybe to Stella the answer was yes. I on the other hand, would disagree.

The knot in my stomach tightened as I thought about what I will be forced into. I remember watching the Hunger Games on our makeshift television at home. I remember how the contestant turned into animals, doing everything in their power to survive.

I remember watching the slow painful deaths of the contestants who where too weak. Most of then died within the first week. Either from hunger, dehydration or the cold. Those always looked like the some of worse ways to die.

I remember watching the painful, bloody deaths. The way they would scream out when a spear pierced them in the stomach, or when a sword sliced open their chest. The way the blood would splatter on everything. The worse was when they didn't have a weapon. Tributes would use their teeth and nails instead, biting open each other's necks. Just hoping they bit down deep enough. No, that was by far the worse way to die.

I watched Derek give a pained, fake smile to Stella, a thanks for the complement. I watched him was led to the 'X' that was typed on the floor next to me. I watched as he held out his hand to me, to shake. I watched as my own hand cam out to greet his. I watched as guards came and let us inside the town hall. And I watched as the fight for my survival officially started.

**I know it took way too long to update this chapter, especially since it is the shortest one. Anyway, I just want to please ask you for reviews! I does two things for me. It helps me write better, and it makes me happy and keeps me motivated to write for you guys. So PLEASE write reviews for me!**


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